My Journey with Guitar

My journey with the guitar started when I was 13 and my mom bought me my first electric guitar! I remember plugging in the amp, and not knowing where to start, but my aunt and uncle hit up a good friend of theirs, David, and asked if he could give me guitar lessons. From this point on, I knew my journey with music had begun.

Once a week, I would spend an hour with David learning how to play Carlos Santana, Iron Maiden, and even the Sesame Street theme song. David was a badass guitarist, and he taught me how to hold an electric guitar, read tabs, and appreciate all types of music! Soon after, I also started playing in my local church where I received instruction from a jazz pianist named Mark. Through him, I became exposed to even more music genres like gospel, blues, and classical. Mark was a phenomenal musician, and he taught me how to play acoustic guitar, music theory, and how to play fingerstyle guitar!

I say this because if you are going to embark on this journey, it is important to surround yourself with people who will motivate you and advocate for you. I don’t mean that you NEED an instructor to get started, but just someone who simply appreciates your motivation to learn music!

I stopped playing with instructors when I was 16, and went down a path of self-teaching myself how to shred and play complex metal riffs because I dove deep into the world of heavy metal. Unfortunately, there were people in my life who questioned my love for guitar and heavy metal. People would say mean things… really anything to bring me down. I am telling you now, there will be people who may not always align to what you like and what you’re interested in. Ignore them, do what you please with music. Life is too short, and it is not worth being deterred from your path. Don’t let undeserving people distract you!

Enough about myself. Let’s get into some pros and cons about learning the guitar:

Pros:

1. Ability to Express Yourself Through Creativity

2. Build Character

3. Increased Opportunities

Cons:

1. Daunting

2. Time and Patience Required

3. Financial Costs

Let's talk about some of the pros first: 

1. Ability to Express Yourself Through Creativity

To be blunt, music is a phenomenal way to express yourself creatively. Really any art is.

If I had a tough day at school or if I was dealing with stuff at home, the guitar always served as a way for me to let everything out. If I was sad, I would play some blues licks. If I was angry, I would play thrash metal music. You know how when you’re in any mood, there’s usually a few songs where you can relate 100% (or almost 100%)? Now imagine playing (and/or singing) alongside it. You feel almost absorbed in that song!

2. Build Character

As you go through your journey with the guitar, you WILL learn some of your favorite songs. Completely learning a new song builds your confidence because it’s like a completing a long project. You sat there, not knowing ANYTHING about it, and then put in the work to successfully learn the song! When you’re playing music, there will be times where you make mistakes (and that’s okay!). Learning how to handle these mistakes and learn from them is another reason why playing guitar builds great character!

3. Increased Opportunities

Learning how to play an instrument is a skill, and like any skill, there may be a demand for it. As far as employment opportunities, think session musician, recording artist, live performer, music producer, songwriter, film composer, guitar instructor, etc. For me personally, I was giving zoom guitar lessons during my time at Harvard University to earn some additional cash! I personally work a regular office job and continue to pick up small music gigs here and there (either for fun or for some additional revenue streams)!

Now let’s get into some of the cons..

1. Daunting

I know guitar can be daunting. It’s like learning a new language. You’re not going to shred Eddie Van Halen’s Eruption in the first week of playing (believe me, I tried). It takes a good amount of self-discipline to want to learn how to play the guitar. It takes physical and mental work. Like I’m not even lying, when you first start playing the guitar, your fingers WILL hurt because you haven’t developed those callouses yet. My fingers have bled before (do NOT get to this point, give yourself time to heal). But the cool thing is that after a few weeks, your fingers will develop those calluses and your fingers won’t hurt when you play anymore. I think that’s one of the best milestones you can hit as a new guitarist: No more pain!

2. Time and Patience Required

Although your fingers won’t hurt anymore, the amount of time and patience required will not go away. As you progress through your skills, you’ll want to learn new techniques, new genres, etc. I don’t really think there's a way to “pass” guitar. You’re always in a position to learn something new.

It’s important to keep in mind that learning guitar is not a smooth, linear process. There will be things you catch on very easily and others that are extremely difficult. It’s important to not let the frustration overwhelm you and to keep on pushing!! Remember, every single guitarist was once a beginner.

3. Financial Costs

A good beginner-friendly guitar easily starts at $150. Amps are another $100. General upkeep like changing your strings, buying new guitar cables, and more can add up. However, there are definitely budget options out there that may be worth considering based on your financial needs!! Music is definitely something I see as a personal and financial investment.

Conclusion and Takeaways

Learning the guitar is ABSOLUTELY worth it… if you’re prepared for the wild ride! The journey is like a rollercoaster: there are lots of ups and downs that are each worth considering. 

1. Guitar and music are great tools for creative expression

2. Guitar (and the discipline required) is a character builder

3. If you are serious about embarking on this journey, embrace it

4. Every guitarist was once a beginner

5. Find your tribe: embrace yourself with people who will motivate you around your passion

6. Learning never truly ends

Stay Unharmed!